Long before moving into the limelight, Devin Haney roared and shouted to anyone that would listen that he and only he, was the best fighter in the world. In an effort to prove that his braggadocious words are more than just talk, the 23-year-old has audaciously welcomed all-comers, something he believes Gervonta Davis is eschewing.
Intrinsically linked to the hard-hitting 135-pounder, the two have engaged in back-and-forth trash talk over the years. Although he’s enjoyed their war of words, Haney would much rather zip the lips of his longtime foe by facing him in the ring.
Before exploring that option, however, Haney will square off against George Kambosos Jr. in an immediate rematch in Melbourne, Australia on October 16th. Should the undisputed lightweight titlist hold firm to his championship status, a showdown against Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko has emerged as a distinct possibility. While the 23-year-old remains interested in facing Davis, he chuckles when discussing the Baltimore native’s level of opposition.
With what Haney considers to be a carefully handpicked set of opponents, he believes that Davis is unlikely to face him, or anyone of note anytime soon.
“We all know that Tank isn't gonna fight nobody,” said Haney during an interview with Behind The Gloves. “He doesn't want to fight nobody. It’s been like that for a while now so the more realistic fight is Lomachenko.”
Davis, 27, remains an impractical option for Haney due to a bevy of reasons, mainly their promotional ties. Nevertheless, a matchup against Lomachenko has protruded to the forefront.
In what will be his first appearance in the ring in nearly a year, Lomachenko is officially set to take on Jamaine Ortiz on October 29th. Bob Arum, both Haney and Lomachenko’s current promoter, has already expressed his desire to match the pair against one another in the first half of 2023.
Despite being viewed as a gargantuan favorite, Haney is unwilling to blindly pick Lomachenko to snag the win. Just a few short months ago, the former two-time Olympic gold medalist gave a helping hand to his native land in the ongoing Russian invasion. Until Lomachenko proves that he’s back to his dominant ways, Haney will remain in wait-and-see mode.
“I don’t know,” said Haney when asked if Lomachenko will pick up the win against Ortiz. “I don’t really know much about Ortiz to be honest. We gotta see how he holds up against, you know, coming out of the war and the environment that he was in, so we’ll see.”